Ice cuber



July 8, 1941. I o. e. CAMPBELL ICE CUBER Filed Sept. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MPBELL DONALD G614 July 8, 1941C n G. CAMPBELL ICE QUEER Filed Sept. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F A v EM WW rW/N AM DONALD G CAMPBELL in Fig. 1;

Patented July 8, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE E R Donald 6. Campbell, New York, N. Y. Application September 27,1938, Serial No. 231,949 4 Claims. (01; 14s ss) The present invention relates to machines for cutting ice, and more particularly to a machine and method for cuttingice cubes from blocks of ice.

The present invention aims to provide an improved machine for making ice cubes, which is simple and inexpensive in construction and is economical in operation regardless of the quantity of cubes produced. A further aim of the invention is to provide a rapid and safe method of making ice cubes.

- An object of the present invention is to provide a simple machine for making ice cubes which is constructed of a minimum number of parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a more rapid and economical method of cutting 2 ice cubes from a block of ice.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the feaand arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

111 the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine for making ice cubes illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a carriage or truck for guiding a block of ice while being cut;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a receptacle associated with the truck, for receiving the block of ice;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthe base of the carriage or truck for supporting the receptacle shown in Fig. 5;

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatic perspective views, illustrating a preferred method of making ice cubes from a block of ice. I

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in tures of construction, combination of elements- Figs. 1 2, and 3 a machine for cutting ice cubes from a block of ice. The machine comprises a body or frame [0 having a table or runway H for supporting a block of ice B. a plurality of vertical saws l2 and a horizontal saw I4 adjacent the table for cutting the ice into cubes, and a carriage or truck I5 adapted to deliver the block of ice to the saws.

The carriage is illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and comprises a base or supporting frame It and a receptacle ll rotatably mounted thereon, which has a rectangular opening [9 extending therethrough for guiding the block of ice downwardly. To enable the saws l2 and I4 to cut cubes from the block, the base of the carriage is spaced upwardly from the table and the saws by legs 20 (Figs. 1 and. 3) having suitable rollers 21 or the like adapted to ride on tracks 22 extending lengthwise along the sides of the table. In this manner, the lower portion of the block of ice extends downwardly through the receptacle and the bottom, of the block is adapted to seat and slide along the table.

In order to move the carriage back and forth along the runway in a simple effective manner without the aid of complicated devices, the body or frame I0 is pivotally mounted on a base or support 24 (Figs. 1 and 3) by means of a trunnion 25 or the like. This enables the table to be rocked or tilted in a vertical plane and thereby incline the tracks 22, to permit the carriage to move by gravity from one end of the table to the other. To prevent the carriage from rolling downgrade too rapidly, the inclination of the body or frame I0 may be limited, for example,

to ten degrees, by lugs 26 associatedv with the trunnion adapted to engage projections 21 (Fig. l) on the support 24.

The saws I: extend vertically upwardly through slots 30 in the table and are adapted to form a series of spaced vertical cuts in the lower portion of the block of ice. To form cubes the vertical saws preferably are utilized, first to cut the ice along vertical planes extending lengthwise with respect to the table, and then along vertical planes perpendicular to the planes along which the ice was first cut. To accomplish this, a turntable 3| (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided at one end of the table adjacent the vertical saws which is adapted to rotate the block of ice about its vertical axis one quarter of a revolution or ninety degrees.

The turntable comprises a disc 32 adapted to support the block of ice which is rotatalbly of the machine at all times.

mounted on a shaft 34 supported by the body or frame 10, and a manually operable crank or hand wheel 35 adjacent the end of the body which is operatively connected to the rotatably mounted disc by suitable gears 36 and 31. In this manner, the vertical saws I2 are adapted to cut the block longitudinally and laterally to form square portions.

To facilitate free rotation of the block of ice, the receptacle H for guiding the block of ice is rotatably mounted on the base l6 of the carriage by means of a circular flange 40 (Figs. 4 and 5) fitting into a circular aperture 4| in the base (Figs. 4 and 6). rotated rapidly without manually resetting the block in the receptacle or employing complicated devices by turning the carriage.

This enables the block to be The horizontal saw I4 is mounted on a shaft 42 and extends upwardly above the table to cut the square portionsformed by the vertical hopper 43 in the table and are conducted to a receptacle 45, such as a bag or box, by a chute 46.

While the cubes are being cut; the newly formed; bottom of the block rides over the horizontal saw onto a raised platform or support 41 adapted to ease the downward pressure on the saw. This support is also adapted to be used as aloading station when a block is placed into the receptacle H of the carriage. To further prevent bending of the saw M, the blade thereof may be supported on a flange 49 (Fig. 1'). The flange also serves to prevent the cubes from getting underneath the saw by checking their movement With the carriage at the hopper. If desired the vertical saws .12 may be reinforced with similar flanges 50 to. prevent undue strains or bending thereof (Fig. 2).

. A preferred drive for the saws comprises. a. motor 5| mounted on the body ill by. a bracket 52 (Fig. 3), a shaft 53 for rotating the, vertical .sa'ws [2, a shaft 55 for rotating the horizontal saw. shaft 42 through gears 56 and'Sl, and sprocketsfifiand 6,0 on the shafts53 andv 55, respectively rotatably connected by achain 6i.

In-this manner, the saws may be driven from a common source of power and operatively connected in a simple effective manner.

To guard the operator of the machine against injury, the body or frame [0 is provided with an upwardly extending cage or shield 64 which may have a cover or top 65 (Fig. 3), if desired, provided with a door or opening for placing blocks of ice on the carriage. Preferably, the cage is formed of wire screen which is relatively inexpensive and affords the operator full view Also to prevent snow formed by the horizontal saw from coming through screen, a guard plate '66 may be placed about the screen (Fig. l). The lower portions of the vertical saws and the sprockets and chain may also be shielded by a suitable guard or casing; p

A preferred method of making ice cubes in accordance with the present invention is illusor frame it is then tilted so that the carriage moves downwardly towards the left whereby the bottom of the block of ice rides over the horizontal blade (4 and seats on the table or runway I I. As the carriage moves past the vertical saws H the lower portion of the block of ice is provided with a series of vertical upwardly extending cuts V (Fig. 7). After the carriage passes the Vertical saws and reaches the end of the table, the block of ice is supported on the disc 32 of the turntable. The crank or handwheel 35 is then turned to rotate the block of ice and the receptacle l1 approximately ninety degrees into the position illustrated in Fig. 8. Thereafter the body or frame H3 is inclined so that the carriage travels downwardly towards the right whereby the vertical saws l2 are effective to provide a second series of vertical cuts V extending perpendicularly with respect to the vertical cuts Y (Fig.- 9). The block of ice then has at its lower portion a plurality of square portions depending downwardly therefrom which upon movement of the carriage towards the horizontal saw M are adapted to be cut from the block of ice to provide cubes C 10) which fall through the hopper intothe receptacle 45. The machine is then ready for another cycle of operation which may be carried out by again tilting the body or frame of the machine to. move the carriage towards the left. The block is. fed through the opening H in the receptacle l'l' until it is cut into cubes and thereafter another block of ice is placed on the carriage- From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention providesv an improved machine and, method for making ice cubes. The machine is simple and inexpensive in construction and can be; economically and safely operated. It. .is suitable. for producing large quantities of cubes or forsupplying; smaller demands. It is ideally suited for bars, restaurants. hotels or other establishments which desire to make their own ice cubes. The simplicity of the drive and the'feature of tilting the runway to move the ings shall be interpreted. as, illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be unders and that. the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and speeific features of the invention herein. described and all statements of the scope of the invention. which, as a. matter of language, might be said to fall therebetwen.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An ice 'cubing machine comprising an elongated flat table, vertical saws extending above the plane of sai'd flat table andpositionedinter mediate pf the ends thereof, a turntable located in the pian'e or said flat table adjacent one end thereof, a horizontally disposed saw located above the plane of said flat table adjacent the other end thereof, a carrier movable longitudinally along said flat table for carrying a block saws for cutting vertical kerfs therein and onto said turntable whereupon the ice may be rotated to present another face to the Vertical saws, and when said table is then tilted to raise the end adjacent the turntable saidcarrier will move the ice again across said vertical saws for cutting vertical kerfs at an angle to said first kerfs therein and then into the path of said horizontal saw for cutting and releasing cubes from the ice.

2. An ice cubing machine comprising an elongated flat table, vertical saws extending above the plane of said flat table and positioned intermediate the ends thereof, a turntable located in the plane of said fiat table adjacent one end thereof, a loading platform located above the plane of said fiat table adjacent the other end thereof, a horizontally disposed saw located between the plane of the table and said loading platform and having its cutting edge extending beyond said loading platform, a carrier movable longitudinally along said fiat table for carrying a block of ice thereacross, said carrier being normally positioned at said loading platform, and means pivotally mounting said table for tilting in a vertical plane, whereby when the table is tilted to lower the end adjacent the turntable said ice carrier will move thereacross to carry a block of ice across said vertical saws for cutting vertical kerfs therein and onto said turntable, whereupon the ice may be rotated to present another face to the vertical saws, and when said table is then tilted to raise the end adjacent the turntable said carrier will move the ice again across said vertical saws for cutting vertical kerfs at an angle to said first kerfs therein and then into the path of said horizontal saw for cutting and releasing cubes from the ice.

3. An ice lcubing machine comprising an elongated fiat table, a plurality of vertical slots provided in said table intermediate of the ends thereof and extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of vertical saws supported beneath said table and having their cutting edges extending through said slots, a turntable located in the plane of said flat table adjacent one end thereof, a horizontal saw located adjacent the other end of the flat table and above the plane thereof, a common drive means carried by said table for said vertical saws and horizontal saw, and means pivotally mounting said flat table for tilting it in a vertical plane, whereby a block of ice may be successively carried past said vertical saws and onto said turntable when said fiat table is tilted in one direction and then successively across said vertical saws and into the path of said horizontal saw when said table is tilted in the other direction.

4. An ice cubing machine comprising an elongated flat table, vertical saws extending above the plane of said fiat table and positioned intermediate the ends thereof, a turntable located in the plane of said flat table adjacent one end thereof, a horizontally disposed saw located above the plane of said fiat table adjacent the other end thereof, and means pivotally mounting said table for tilting in a vertical plane, whereby when the table is tilted to lower the end adjacent the turntable said ice carrier will move thereacross to carry a block of iceacross said vertical saws for cutting vertical kerfs therein and onto said turntable, whereupon the ice may be rotated to present another face to the vertical saws, and when said table is then tilted to raise the end adjacent the turntable said carrier will move the ice again across said vertical saws for cutting vertical kerfs at an angle to said first kerfs therein and then into the path of said horizontal saw for cutting and releasing cubes from the block of ice.

DONALD G. CAMPBELL. 

